The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Crazy Uncle Joe Biden Campaigns in Ohio, Apparently Thinks He’s in Iowa

Posted on | October 24, 2012 | 17 Comments

All these darned Midwestern states look alike!

During a campaign stop in Ohio on Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden forgot where he was. Again.
“I mean literally,” Biden said (probably meaning “figuratively”), “ladies and gentlemen, this is a guy [Mitt Romney] who’s running all the ads here in Iowa saying that he’s going to get tough on China.”
“I’ve had the great privilege of being able to be in this state now, I think it’s my 25th event (I’m not sure), but I’ve been all over this state.”

 

Hat-tip: Danielle Saul.

Category: Election 2012, Iowa, Joe Biden, Ohio

The Self-Dramatizing Victimhood Narrative of Lana (Neé Larry) Wachowski

Posted on | October 24, 2012 | 30 Comments

There is nothing more pathological in contemporary culture than our de rigeur celebration of the hero/martyr/victim as the ambitional ideal. If you can achieve nothing else in life, you can always claim victimhood and be applauded for it. This is why we have hate hoaxes by people like Sharmeka Moffitt, and this is why all the bien-pensants expect us to join their pity party for Lana Wachowski:

Director Lana Wachowski, whose films include Cloud Atlas and the Matrix trilogy and who came out as transgendered earlier this year, told an audience in San Francisco last weekend that she nearly committed suicide as a young adult because of her identity struggles.
“In the absence of words to defend myself, without examples, without models, I began to believe voices in my head – that I was a freak, that I am broken, that there is something wrong with me, that I will never be lovable,” Wachowski said at the Human Rights Campaign’s gala dinner in San Francisco, where she accepted the LGBT organization’s Visibility Award.

Congratulations! You’ve won the “Visibility Award”! You are now a Certified Official Victim-Hero! From Wachowski’s acceptance speech:

 I am completely horrified by the “talk show,” the interrogation and confession format, the weeping, the tears of the host [applause] whose sympathy underscores the inherent tragedy of my life as a transgender person. And this moment fulfilling the cathartic arc of rejection to acceptance without ever interrogating the pathology of a society that refuses to acknowledge the spectrum of gender in the exact same blind way they have refused to see a spectrum of race or sexuality. . . .

(See? It’s society’s fault.)

I remember the third grade, I remember recently moving and transferring from a public school to a Catholic school. In public school I played mostly with girls, I have long hair and everyone wears jeans and t-shirts. In Catholic school the girls wear skirts, the boys play pants. I am told I have to cut my hair. I want to play Four Square with the girls but now I’m one of them — I’m one of the boys. . . .

(He never got over third grade — or Four Square, for that matter.)

Here in the absence of words to defend myself, without examples, without models, I began to believe voices in my head — that I was a freak, that I am broken, that there is something wrong with me, that I will never be lovable.
After school I go to the nearby Burger King and write a suicide note. It ends up being over four pages. [laughter] I’m a little talkative. But it was addressed to my parents and I really wanted to convince them that it wasn’t their fault, it was just that I didn’t belong. I cry a lot as I write this note . . .

Well, boo hoo hoo. You see how the celebration of victimhood encourages people to think of their self-pity as justified, as a reaction to “society,” externalizing blame for their own unhappiness onto the uncaring Other. The culture of victimhood permits them to embrace their selfish narcissism — their lack of empathy or understanding for the innumerable Others lumped into the dehumanizing category “society” — in order to export their sense of shame onto these scapegoats: “How dare you be insensitive to my problems, you hateful bigots!”

Here’s the thing: All children experience occasional moments of social awkwardness. Many teenagers feel unloved and sad. These problems are so common as to be nearly universal, and yet Wachowski has such a sense of specialness and entitlement as to believe it horribly unfair — indeed, a social injustice, a violation of human rights — that he/she should ever have had such feelings. And so “society” must be scolded and punished, for we were all guilty of our failure to recognize Wachowski’s specialness.

Hey, Larry, what about your ex-wife, Thea Bloom? You know, the “college sweetheart” you married in 1993, and who divorced you in 2003 saying you had “been extremely dishonest . . . in our personal life”? Is she just part of that uncaring “society” against whom you rage? And isn’t it possible that your rage is actually an externalization of your own guilt feelings over the cruel deceit you practiced against her?

Where does Thea go to get her award?

Wachowski’s problem isn’t “gender identity disorder,” it’s egomania. And there is something profoundly perverse about a culture that empowers such bullies, by celebrating their make-believe victimhood and assisting their petty revenge on society in the name of “human rights.”

 

Category: Celebrities, Culture, Gays

‘There’s Not Much Time Left and the Future of Our Country Is at Stake’

Posted on | October 24, 2012 | 3 Comments

So says Clint Eastwood in this powerful new ad:

 

Hat-tip: Melissa Clouthier on Twitter.

Category: Celebrities, Election 2012, Video

Michelle Obama Used Partial-Birth Abortion as 2004 Fundraising Issue

Posted on | October 24, 2012 | 4 Comments

Tony Lee has the story at Breitbart News:

Michelle Obama wrote a letter in 2004 endorsing partial-birth abortions, a heinous procedure that involves removing an unborn baby during the latter stages of the second trimester or early stages of the third trimester and crushing the back of her head with scissors. Obama, in a fundraising letter on behalf of her husband’s 2004 Illinois Senate campaign, said bans on infanticide were “clearly unconstitutional and must be overturned.”
“The fact remains, with no provision to protect the health of the mother, this ban on a legitimate medical procedure is clearly unconstitutional and must be overturned,” Obama wrote, according to a letter discovered by LifeNews. “Attorney General Ashcroft and President Bush believe so zealously in their cause that the privacy right of patients are under assault. They believe we have no federal right to privacy when it concerns our medical histories.”
The Supreme Court in 2007 upheld the ban on partial-birth abortions. . . .
Barack Obama, who voted against the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act while he was a state senator in Illinois, has been an extremist on abortion.

The report by Steven Ertelt at LifeNews is here. It is stunning to think that, in running for Senate in 2004, Obama would have been so cynical as to have his wife write this letter, practically advocating such a horrible procedure, as a fundraising issue!

Perhaps the “Catholics for Obama” spokesmen can explain this?

Has anyone heard from those guys lately? Anyone? Bueller?

Category: Abortion, Barack Obama

Islam, Terrorism, and the Truth

Posted on | October 24, 2012 | 4 Comments

What’s wrong with President Obama’s explanation about the attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya? Well, yes, everything — newly released e-mails provide further proof of that — but what’s wrong with the Benghazi story is symptomatic of a larger problem, as historian Daniel Mandel explains:

In the final presidential debate on October 22, President Barack Obama spoke briefly about the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on U.S. officials and personnel in Benghazi. He outlined why the U.S. had gone into Libya before the attack. He outlined the answers he is still seeking following the attack. But he did not say why this terrorist attack had occurred or why the U.S. had been ill-prepared to meet it in what is, after all, a volatile city alive with militias recently freed from dictatorial rule. Nor did he tell us why his Administration strenuously avoided calling it a terrorist attack for two weeks, preferring instead to speak of a spontaneous assault in the course of a demonstration of Muslims offended by an anti-Muhammad video.
Mitt Romney did not pursue the subject, so we got no closer to the heart of the matter, yet the implication of this apologetic gloss of the first two weeks is obvious: Ambassador Chris Stevens was not murdered by Islamists who hate America and its allies and mean to attack us again; he was the victim of the local reaction to one of the products of American freedom of speech. Once the attack was acknowledged as the handiwork of terrorists, however, followers of al Qaeda, virtually the only officially acknowledged extremists, were cited as the perpetrators. And here lies the problem: the Obama Administration will not acknowledge that an extreme and violent segment of the Muslim world ranging far beyond the confines of al Qaeda is at war with us. To do so would have required him to explain why the U.S. had been empowering Islamists, including in Libya, some of whom may have been responsible for leaking information that enabled the terrorists to locate and kill the Americans. . . .

Read the whole thing at The American Spectator.

Category: Islam, Libya, Terrorism

Down-Ticket VA Races

Posted on | October 24, 2012 | 13 Comments

by Smitty

Just because Northern Virginia is infested with Commies does not make it acceptable to roll over:

8th District: In their second matchup, we like Republican Patrick Murray over 11-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Jim Moran. Yes, this is the second-most Democratic congressional district in Virginia, and voters there have long overlooked Moran’s questionable ethics and legendary temper. But Murray — a 24-year Army veteran who served as a military attache to the United Nations Security Council and was on Gen. David Petraeus’ staff during the Iraq surge — is clearly the better choice. Murray has justly attacked Moran for doing “exactly nothing” about looming sequestration, which threatens to crush Northern Virginia’s local economy. The prospect of gutting our military — or adding to our $16 trillion national debt — should scare even die-hard Democrats to vote for a change.
. . .
11th District: Democratic incumbent Rep. Gerry Connolly was instrumental in pushing through the $6 billion Silver Line boondoggle when he served as chairman of the Fairfax County board. He hasn’t changed his stripes. Connolly’s voting record in Congress earned him an “F” from the National Taxpayers Union. He has supported virtually all of President Obama’s domestic agenda. Former Green Beret Chris Perkins is a moderate Republican of the sort reminiscent of Tom Davis. He would undoubtedly be a much better steward of taxpayers’ money than this big-spending Democratic partisan.

Patrick Murray VA-8

&

Chris Perkins VA-11

Donate today and thump a Lefty for God & country!

Category: Virginia

LIVE AT FIVE: 10.24.12

Posted on | October 24, 2012 | 6 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Terrorists Rain Rockets, Mortar Bombs On Israel; Five Injured

House damaged by rocket

IDF counterstrikes into Gaza result in three jihadis KIA, three wounded

Press Goes Ape Over Mourdock Rape Pregnancy Opinion
Debate answer sets off predictable hue & cry

Costa Rica Rattled By Earthquake
6.6 on the Richter scale; no major damage or casualties



POLITICS
Supreme Court Upholds Stay Of Execution For Florida Mass Murderer

John Errol Ferguson

Lawyers file last-minute plea, argue Ferguson is mentally ill

Third-Party Candidates Rail Against Obama, Romney At Debate

Biden, Obama Unite In Ohio To Play The Role Of Auto Champions

Warren, Brown Begin Final Push With New Ads

USAir Baggage Handler Arrested For Theft Of Uncirculated Bills

Louisiana Woman Claiming Racist Fire Attack Made It All Up, Investigators Say

Mauled By Attack Ads, Incumbents Consider Tighter Rules

Inhofe: EPA Punting Economy-Crippling Regulations Until After Election



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Drops Again On Concerns About Economic Growth: NYMEX $86.67, Brent $108.25
Facebook Shares Up As Ad Sales Surge
Asian Stocks Decline Despite PRC PMI
TroubleVille: Zynga Lays Off 5% Of Workforce, Scraps 13 Games
CFPB Issues Rules For Debt Collectors
Weak Earnings Spark Selloff: Wall Street Loses $500 Billion In Three Days
DuPont Cites Weak Quarterly Revenue, Will Cut 1500 Jobs
Which Mini-Tablet Is Right For You?
Microsoft Surface RT: Impressive Piece Of Engineering
Revamped iMac Lineup Slick And Uber-Thin
Nintendo Cuts Forecast On Lower 3DS Demand, Stronger Yen
A Cure For Blackberry Owners Who Feel Like Black Sheep



SPORTS
Earnhardt Cleared For Return To Racing

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Examined by neurosurgeon, Earnhardt deemed ready for Martinsville after sitting out two weeks to recover from concussions

NHL Rejects Union Bid To Restart Negotiations

Mark Cavendish: Lance Armstrong Must Confess For The Good Of Cycling

Bears Or Foreign Policy? In Chicago, It Was A Tie

Ozzie Guillen Fired As Manager Of Failed Fish After Just One Year

Towel Company Defends Chargers

Bobby V: David Ortiz Quit On The Red Sox

Closer Drew Storen Joins Nine Other Nationals As Arbitration-Eligible



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Eva Longoria Once Again A Free Agent

Mark Sanchez and Eva Longoria

Obama campaign co-chair splits up with Jets QB over “scheduling issues”. Uh-huh.

Leah Messer Of “Teen Mom 2” Pregnant With Third Child

Christina Applegate Reveals Total Emotional Collapse After Double Mastectomy

Donald Trump To Reveal Obama Divorce Papers?

Chris Brown Impostor Sues Rihanna For Giving Him Herpes

Stella Boonshoft Becomes Body-Image Hero After Posting Bikini Pic

Emma Watson Returning To Brown University In 2013

Barneys’ Decision To Make Minnie Mouse A Rail Thin Model Draws Outrage

Carlton Fisk Found Drunk And Asleep At The Wheel – In The Middle Of A Cornfield



FOREIGNERS
Jamaica Braces For Tropical Storm Sandy
BBC Staff Face Abuse Inquiry
Russian Activist Says He Signed “Confession” After Death Threats
Among Americans In Israel, More Support For Romney
Syria Is Test For Turkey’s Determination, Not Its Patience
PRC Reshuffles Top Military Leadership
France To Send Drones To Mali For Fight Against Al-Qaeda



BLOGS & STUFF
WyBlog: Obama & Romney Foreign Policy Debate Like Two Underwater Ships Passing In The Night
Valley of the Shadow: Has Obama Lost The Intel Community?
NRO Corner: Mourdock Isn’t Second Akin
Gateway Pundit: E-Mails Show Obama Knew Islamic Group Took Credit For Benghazi Slaughter Two Hours Into Attack
Atlas Shrugs: Obama Lied, Americans Died
Power Line: Obama Fails Bob Woodward’s Fact Check On Sequestration
Sense Of Events: Donald Trump Has Got To Be Kidding
Wizbang: Obama Media Supporters Attempt To Hide The Decline
Legal Insurrection: Romney’s Rovian BBBB Strategy
American Power: Nate Silver Calls It – Advantage Obama!
Riehl World View: Obama Speaks To Iowa Paper, But Only Off The Record
Volokh Conspiracy: More Bayonets, Fewer Horses
Lonely Conservative: Don’t Tell Obama, But The Military Still Uses Bayonets And Horses
GayPatriot: Obama’s Fingerprints All Over Gloria Allred’s Latest Stunt
NRO Media Blog: Syria IS Iran’s Route To The Sea
NewsBusters: Factcheck.Org Hits Obama For Inflated Jobs Claims (OVER 90004 MILLION!)
Protein Wisdom: A Declaration Of Independence…

Category: Live at Five

Signs and Omens: Obama’s Fading Hope and the Graveyard Whistling Choir

Posted on | October 23, 2012 | 59 Comments

Nate Silver continues to lead the Democrat Graveyard Whistling Choir, raising Obama to a 70.3% likelihood of victory based on . . . what?

I dunno. I’m not an expert with a New York Times column or anything, much less a Magical Forecasting Model™ that can divine future events with the precise scientific exactitude of 1/10 of one percent.

This morning, Silver told us that Ohio might be a crucial battleground, which may be news to a victim who just escaped from an underground rape-dungeon after nine months of being held hostage and tortured by a sociopathic sex offender. But to everyone else, it’s not news at all.

My apologies for the bizarre word-imagery. Debate-night aftermath, a shortage of sleep and other psychological stress sometimes have this effect on my prose. But don’t worry. After 24 debates in 16 months, I’m used to it by now. And speaking of bizarre word-imagery, Ace of Spades:

“It’s going to be a grim affair, grim and horrible and just sad, but there’ll be lots of alcohol.”

That’s in reaction to unmistakable evidence of doom and gloom in Obama’s increasingly desperate fundraising e-mails. The plural of “anecdote” is data, as they say, and you don’t need a Magical Forecasting Model™ to see the dots in this emerging gestalt pattern, including the Gloria Allred “October surprise” gambit. Never heard a peep about this until after Obama got his ass kicked in the first debate, did ya?

–

Four new national polls — Gallup, Rasmussen, ABC and Monmouth — show Romney leading, compared to one (IBD) that shows Obama leading. If you average those five most recent polls, Romney’s lead is 2.2 points, while the RCP national average (which includes earlier results) has Romney ahead by a more slender 0.9 points.

In other words, while I haven’t yet seen any polling that reflects reaction to Monday’s debate, the trend going into that debate was steadily in Romney’s favor, which in turn would rather tend to contradict any thought that the pro-Obama shift in Nate’s Magical Forecasting Model™ is a function of actual data inputs. There is a growing suspicion that Nate’s just pulling his “data” out of his ass and wishcasting, and if that suspicion should prove true — if it becomes clear Romney is heading toward victory and Silver is forced to scramble his numbers — it might produce the biggest scandal since we learned that Jayson Blair was filing West Virginia datelines from his Brooklyn apartment.

However, I have no definite reason to accuse Nate Silver of deliberate fraud, and it’s entirely plausible that he’s just the victim of his own erroneous faith in statistical modeling. And when Team Obama starts talking about scenarios where they can win without Ohio, maybe you want to add a few extra grains of salt to Nate’s numbers.

The first rule of Losing Ohio Club is you don’t talk about Losing Ohio Club.

Damn, I love that Ewok. Read more

Category: Election 2012, Florida, New York Times, Ohio, Polls, Virginia
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